


In Need Of A Change

by markiboss (purplelly)



Category: jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Criminal AU, GTA AU, M/M, guns and violence and stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-04-26 03:37:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4988731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplelly/pseuds/markiboss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack, known as the SepticEye, is a mercenary working side by side with the criminal overlord, Felix. Their territory has been poked and prodded by a newer crew, and it's time to take them out; but Jack only lacks the manpower to do so. Felix assigns another crew to work with Jack to take down the enemy; resulting and twisted strings and spilled truths.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HEYA new fic that i'm kinda excited about! i hope you guys like it! the title is the only thing i might change in the future, but i'll let you know if i change it!

The cool night air ran over his skin pleasantly as Jack stood on the balcony of his penthouse, overlooking the city from the height. He was never a fan of heights, and even now, just looking across the city made him slightly nauseous. The thought almost made him want to laugh; with his job, with what he does, _heights_ scare him the most.

Still, the sight made him uneasy, so he retreated into the warmth of his apartment. The discarded sunglasses and gym bag he had earlier were left on the dining table; next to a plate of crumbs and an empty glass from his dinner of leftovers. He hesitated moving to take care of the mess, a sudden weight of fatigue creeping on his shoulders.

Before he could decide if it was worth leaving for a night or not, a buzzing in his pocket distracted him. The name on the screen, _Felix_ , made the fatigue a little less heavy.

“Hey, Felix, what’s up?” Jack asked as he answered the call.

“Hey, Jack,” Felix greeted. “I got a job for you, and you’re gonna like it.”

Jack perked up. “Oh yeah? Is it…?”

“Yup,” Felix answered before he could finish. “I got a crew to help you take down the trio. I know you’ve been wanting to go after them, but you didn’t have the manpower. Now you do.”

Jack felt a spark of joy at the idea. The ‘trio’ was the growing crew of three people that have managed to slip through their fingers. It was lead by a person who goes by the codename Freddy. The other two go by the names Bonnie and Chica. They’ve been actively trying to gain the upper hand on Felix, the most powerful criminal overlord this side of the country. The three have tried to forcibly take Felix’s territory; resulting in the death of many from both sides. After Felix sent a clear warning, one of Felix’s main contacts was found dead. From then on, it’s been declared war between them.

And if you messed with Felix, you messed with Felix’s right hand man, the SepticEye; also known as Jack.

Jack has a…. _reputation_ in the criminal world, which makes him a feared mercenary. He certainly used it to his advantage.

“Who did you get?” Jack asked. He looked at the mess on the dining table once more before deciding it could wait. He wandered to his bedroom as Felix replied.

“It’s one of the newer crews working with me,” Felix said. “I’ve been sending them out on small jobs, and I think they’re up to the task. The leader is also very friendly, surprisingly. You don’t find many humble people in this business. You might have heard of him; he goes by the name Warfstache?”

Jack had been thoroughly interested, until he said the guy’s name and had to refrain a groan.

Oh, he’s certainly heard of Warfstache before. He’d known full well that he was working with Felix, too. But something about the guy screamed 'red flag’ to Jack.

Jack had only seen him through the news channel and the newspaper. Just a week ago, he’d watched the crew rob a line of convenience stores and somehow manage to blow up a gas station in the process. The explosion had confused the cops that were on their tail and they slipped away with all the cash.

He’d also heard through Felix that the crew was made up of high school friends. Jack doesn’t look down at that detail, though; it’s one of the few he admired about them. Being together for so long creates a bond, making it less likely any one of them will betray the others.

No, it was the damn _mask_ ‘Warfstache’ wears, not to mention his _name_. He wears a bandanna folded over his nose and mouth with a printed pink mustache on it. Must be where the strange name comes from.

And the way Jack has seen the crew _work_ ; out on a heist, captured footage from a bystander or the news. He heard them laughing, joking, mocking the police that chases them. To see them having fun, as if there was no threat or risk of injury, as if it was a _game_ \- it makes his blood boil.

Don’t they know the danger? Of course, he was like them once, too, but that was before--

Jack shook the thought away, sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.

Felix still chatted away, not noticing Jack’s sudden shift in mood.

“-And they’ve finished that, too. I think they’re the best that we’re gonna get for this job, Jack,” Felix stated.

“Right,” Jack replied. “Fine, yes. I’ll work with them.”

“You don’t have to sound so miserable about it,” Felix laughed. “C’mon! We’re gonna take those assholes out once and for all! This is great!”

Jack couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Yeah, it is. It’s about time we do something, too.”

“Hey,” Felix said in a mock offended tone. “I can’t help it that I’m busy. You try running a criminal empire.”

“Heh, no thanks,” Jack replied. “That’s your thing.” He paused. “When do I meet...Warfstache and his crew?”

“Oh, yeah,” Felix said, and there was a shuffle of papers. “I called him earlier and wrote it down here somewhere...There!” He paused to, Jack presumed, read whatever he wrote down. “Tomorrow at...the docks. Tomorrow at the docks at noon. How does that sound?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Jack replied. He hasn’t had a job in a few days, so his schedule has only consisted of going to the gym between meals. It actually made him antsy, having nothing to do, so he’s glad for the new assignment.

“Great!” Felix said. “Call me after the meeting, okay?”

“Will do,” Jack answered.

They said their goodbyes, and Jack tossed the cell phone on the side table after ending the call. He flopped down on the bed, his last thought worrying over this new job before drifting off.

\--

The night was certainly much cooler than the day. In fact, the heat was so bad today, Jack would have said he missed the weather back in Ireland.

The button-up he wore over his t-shirt would benefit him more if he’d left it at home, but currently it was the only thing concealing his weapons and he really didn’t want to get inspected by some passing cop because he has a pistol strapped to his waist. The jeans didn’t help, either, but it was also necessary for the knife hidden on his ankle.

The only accessory that’s benefiting him at the moment was the sunglasses he wore. They kept the sun from blinding him and also helped hide the long scar over his eye.

Currently he sat on a bench on the docks, a couple minutes before noon. He’d only been there for five minutes and already he felt his hair becoming damp with sweat.

Dammit, he’s lived in Los Santos for years already, why hasn’t he adapted to heat yet?

Jack looked around the dock, spotting a couple groups of people and some hot dog vendors. Not many people around, but also not anyone who could match what Jack would assume was Warfstache and his crew.

On second thought, looking further down the docks, there was a group of three people that caught his eye. To the normal bystander, they looked like they were just passing through. But the way Jack caught their eyes shift around the docks, as if searching for something, or someone, made Jack keep his own gaze trained on them.

The three people seemed like an odd bunch. The two tallest followed the shortest, and Jack recognized dark hair and glasses from captured footage of their past heists. They looked surprisingly casual, with light t-shirts and shorts and sandals, the ideal outfit for heat like this. It would be hard to conceal any weapons on them, if they even bothered to carry any.

Another thing that made Jack’s teeth grind.

When the shortest one, Warfstache Jack assumed, met his eyes, he froze. The other two stopped behind him, following his gaze until they also spotted Jack. The mercenary could imagine what they must be thinking. He’s become a sort of legend in this city, the infamous mercenary who has killed thousands; that he never misses a single shot; that he killed that cruel criminal overlord and has the scar to show it. The stories of him alone make gang leaders shit themselves better than the actual facts do. He’d like to keep it that way.

The three stalked over to him, slow and cautious, as if unsure. Jack just gave a wave, followed by a head tilt and a forced smile. Warfstache didn't hesitate as he returned the gesture.

The group stopped in front of him, and Warstache sits down on the bench next to Jack while the other two hover around him.

“Hey, you’re the SepticEye, right?” The Warfstache asked, and Jack is surprised that the man is much more handsome than he imagined and has a much deeper voice.

“You’re Warfstache?” Jack asked in reply. He looked to the other two still standing. “And your crew?”

The man beamed. “Yup! But call me Mark.” He pointed to each of the two next to him. “That’s Wade and Tyler.” The two looked a lot less enthusiastic than Mark did, and Jack could tell they were on edge of being around him. The stories did that to people; but Mark seemed unaffected. In fact, he seemed _excited._

“Jack,” The mercenary replied. “I’m assuming Felix gave you a brief of the job?”

Mark nodded. “Yeah. I’ve heard they’ve been trying to take down Felix.”

Jack stiffly nodded. “Yes. And it’s about time we take them out.”

They chatted back and forth, setting up a time for Jack to come to one of their safehouses. They exchanged phone numbers before the meeting officially ended. Mark gave a proper goodbye to Jack while the others waved warily at him.

Jack watched them leave, and caught when the tallest one, Jack thought he was Wade, lean down and say something to Mark. Whatever he said caused Mark to shove him away, and from twenty feet away Jack heard Wade laughing.

A sharp tug in his chest caused Jack to bite his lip. High school friends. Right. They seem awfully close.

He waited until they were out of sight to get up and head back to his penthouse. The heat was suddenly much, much warmer than before.

\--

He called Felix when he was safely back home. He told him what they talked about and that they set up a meeting date a few days from now.

"That's great! Mark's a nice guy, isn't he?" Felix asked, but there was something to his tone that set Jack off.

"Uh - yeah, I guess," Jack replied honestly. Mark wasn't what he expected, but he's only met the guy once.

"I think he has a thing for you," Felix practically laughed.

Jack sputtered. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, before, whenever I talked with him," Felix said, in a tone like he was telling Jack some secret. "He always asked something about you. Just now it was where you were from - it was right after your meeting, so he must have noticed your accent."

Jack suddenly felt defensive, hostile. A suspicion against Mark - the whole crew - started to grow.

"What else did he ask?" Jack growled.

Felix picked up on his tone. "Whoa, man, calm down. He's harmless, trust me. I think he just has a sort of admiration for you. Wouldn't be the first time."

Jack scoffed, thinking back to some of Felix’s old contacts. "No one else has ever asked where I was from. They were infatuated with…. _him_ , not with _my_ personal information." He paused. "Did you answer him?"

Felix hesitated. It was rare when Jack was able to intimidate Felix; it's hard to be scared by someone just shy of 5'10. Jack is probably one of the only people that can scare Felix; which is why he is Felix's right hand man.

"...I did," Felix eventually admitted. "He never asked anything too personal, though, Jack. Nothing that would endanger you."

Jack sighed in annoyance. "I still don't trust him. Or any of them."

"You'll be working with them for a couple months," Felix said. "You're gonna have to."

Jack didn't reply. He knew already how the next few months are going to go; invasive questions, suspicion, and probably someone trying to kill him, although that happens with every job. All in all, he's not going to enjoy one single moment until he puts a bullet through Freddy's head.

“...I’m not looking forward to it,” Jack said lowly.

“You don’t have to,” Felix replied. “You just have to kill Freddy and his men.”

“...Okay,” Jack sighed.

They didn’t stay on the phone much longer, their conversation devolving into boring, trivial things until Felix got distracted with his work and ended the call after a quick goodbye. Jack tossed his phone on the table before laying down on his bed, running a hand through his hair.

His anger still bubbled with the new information that Mark had snooped in his personal life. He didn’t trust the guy before, and he sure as hell wouldn’t now.

Giving an annoyed sigh, Jack stood up, deciding to distract himself by making lunch.

\--

In the three days after meeting Mark, there have been phone calls exchanged between the two. They were mostly for Jack passing on information about Freddy and his crew and Mark sharing bits and pieces about his own crew. He learned they had a hacker named Bob, and Wade and Tyler are mostly muscle, though Wade also deals with explosives. They also, surprisingly, have an overseas contact; Aaron, Jack thinks Mark said. He has a few others as well, and while Jack doesn't recognize any of the names, he knew this is why Felix bothered to ally with them. They're slowly growing more powerful, and Jack knows it's best to be on good terms with powerful people than to go against them.

Jack was to meet them at one of their safe houses that evening. Mark sounded pleasant on the phone, focused on business rather than be nosy like Jack expected, but he was still wary of him.

Jack followed the address and found a large two-story cabin smack in the middle of the woods. It was a ways from the city, along the mountains and in the forest area. Before even stepping outside of his car, Jack felt the cabin to be quite homey.

There was another car parked outside the cabin, and as Jack parked his own next to the vehicle, the cabin door opened and Mark’s head poked outside.

“Hey Jack!” Mark greeted. “We’re all inside - here, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

He was just as cheery as the first time they met, and Jack followed warily as Mark lead him inside the cabin.

The inside felt just as homey as the outside. The door opened up to the main room. An unlit fireplace was against a wall facing a couch and a recliner. A TV hung above it, with a game station sat just below it.

Jack recognized Wade and Tyler sitting on the couch. They exchanged hesitant glances at each other. Another, unfamiliar, person had just walked into the room with a can of coke in hand. He stopped in his tracks at seeing Jack.

Before any of them could say anything, Mark was leading Jack over to the person.

“Jack, this is Bob,” Mark introduced. “Bob, Jack.”

Bob didn’t look entirely afraid of him; at least, not like Wade or Tyler. He lifted his soda can in greeting.

“Nice to meet you,” Bob said, before side stepping around Jack and going to sit beside the others on the couch.

Mark doesn’t hesitate to bound over, grab a couple game controllers and gesture for Jack to follow as he takes a seat on the couch.

“How about a nice ice-breaker with a couple games?” Mark suggested.

“Wait,” Jack stopped him. “We’re on a job. We’re supposed to be tracking down Freddy and his crew.”

Mark shrugged. “It can wait a day. We can use tonight to get used to each other. We are going to be around each other for a while.” He passed out controllers as he spoke.

Jack refrained from snapping at him. He wanted to get this done and over with as quick as possible, but he guessed Mark is right. They are going to be around each other for a long time, so they might as well get to know each other a bit. He took an offered controller.

As Mark goes over to the game station and fiddled through the disks they own, Jack caught Wade measuring him. Jack knows they must be burning with questions regarding a certain someone, but he wasn’t in the mood for it. He met Wade’s eye and scowled. The other man paled and turned away.

Mark sat back in his place on the couch as the TV showed a loading screen. Jack can see, as the menu loads, that it’s a racing game of some sort. He's played video games in his spare time, but he hasn’t seen this one before.

As Mark selected a course and the race began, Jack noticed the mood drift from tense and awkward, to light and friendly. They start to joke with one another, teasing and bantering as they relax with each other. Jack couldn't help but feel like the odd one out.

They play a few different courses, before Mark paused and headed to what Jack presumed is the kitchen, shouting about ‘spicing things up’. He reappeared a moment later with a small bottle and shot glasses in hand.

“Oh no,” Jack heard Bob tease.

“Oh yes,” Mark replied. He knelt at the coffee table in front of the couch and poured four shots. He handed the three to the rest of the crew, but hesitated as he held the fourth one. He glanced at Jack, then extended his arm to offer the shot to him.

Jack crinkled his nose. “What is it?”

“It’s cinnamon whiskey,” Mark said. “It’s good, trust me.”

Jack crossed his arms as he leaned back into the couch. He shook his head, and Mark shrugged before knocking the shot back himself.

They didn’t even have much of the alcohol, a couple shots at most, but Jack couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Alcohol clouds the mind, and it’s this business especially when you need to be clear-headed. Jack needs to be clear-headed around people he doesn’t trust.

Despite his irritation, Jack let himself get invested in the game. If he’s going to be around these people for a while, he might as well enjoy himself while he can.

But of course, just as he was beginning to relax, the dreaded questions he was expecting were brought up.

His chosen character had won a race, and Mark had been friendly enough to turn to him with a hand up, asking for a high-five. Jack decided it wouldn’t hurt to return it.

Jack had returned his eyes to the television when Mark spoke, and his apprehension from earlier came crashing back.

“So, I have a question for you,” Mark began. “What exactly had gone down with Billy?”

Instantly, Jack’s grip tightened on the controller and his shoulders tensed. He should’ve expected it to be brought up eventually, and by Mark; he was the only one in the group so far who showed an active interest in him.

Gritting his teeth, he forced a breath out through his nose. When he spoke, it was with superficial nonchalance. “What’s there to tell? Everyone seems to know the story already.”

It didn’t waver Mark. “There’s a million different stories about it. You’re the one who was there! What had happened from your perspective?”

Jack felt the tension from earlier return and thicken. The other three of Mark’s crew were all rapt to attention now, listening to every word even as their eyes never left the television screen.

“Really, Mark,” Jack said, slowly, in a low voice he only uses for intimidation. “It’s not any of your fucking business.”

Mark reeled back, blinking, taken by surprise at the sharpness to Jack’s tone. He almost looked guilty as he returned his gaze to the game.

“Sorry,” He mumbled, and Jack wondered if it was genuine or bitter. He's seen the later more often. Mark thumbed the buttons on his controller and scrolled through courses. “How about this one?” No one objected as he selected it.

The atmosphere relaxed, but only slightly. The question is not brought up again.

\---

Later that evening, Mark showed Jack to a long hallway of bedrooms. Everyone else had already claimed one, leaving an empty room at the back of the hallway.

It was fairly sized, furnished with one bed, closet, dresser, and bedside stand. It was enough for one person to sleep and change clothes.

Jack dropped his bag beside the bed and looked at the time on his phone. He had gotten there in the early evening and it was nearly midnight now. The house was still alive, Jack could hear each creak of movement across the floors, but it shouldn’t stay that way for long. Slowly everyone will retreat to their own rooms and prepare for work tomorrow.

As Jack plopped down onto the stiff bed, he was relieved they’ll finally get on with the job. It hasn’t been twenty-four hours and already he regretted saying yes to working with them.

With a sigh, Jack reached for the bedside lamp and switched it off, sending the room into darkness.

\---

When Jack woke up, the house was chilled and quiet. He threw on a sweatshirt over his bare torso before stepping out into the hallway.

Bob seemed to have gotten to work immediately, tracking down any trace of the crew. Jack walked by his room, the door cracked open slightly. He could see Bob typing away on the computer, numbers flitting across the screens and tabs open with blurry videos and photographs. Bob was hunched over, a mug of coffee on the desk next to him, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Jack backed away silently, and continued through the house.

He was barely halfway down the hallway when he smelled something burning. He took a sharp intake of breath, the worst coming to mind, and sprinted the rest of the way to the kitchen.

Instead of finding the house in flames, he found Mark at the stove, muttering swears under his breath as he scraped off burnt eggs from a pan with a spatula into a trashcan.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jack asked from the doorway.

Mark jumped, almost dropping the pan into the garbage. He hastily set them on the counter and looked back at Jack.

“I - uh,” Mark began sheepishly. “I tried to make breakfast. For everyone. Before they woke up.”

Jack sighed. “Give me that.” He walked forward, took the pan from the counter, and threw them in the sink.

“Where’s your other pans?” Jack asked. He headed towards the stove, and found it already on; Mark probably forgot to turn it off in his rush to throw the eggs out.

Mark dug around in a cupboard under the counter, before finding a pan about the same size as the last one and handing it to Jack.

Jack set it on the counter, using a non-stick spray he found in a cupboard. Then he picked out a clean spatula from a rack of cooking utensils.

“Eggs?”

Mark already had the carton in his hand. He set it on the counter next to Jack as the mercenary set the pan on the stove. Mark leaned on the counter and watched as Jack cracked eggs neatly into the pan.

“You can cook.” Mark stated.

“Yes,” Jack replied. “And you can’t.”

Mark looked indignant. “I can cook! It just didn’t go well this morning…”

“Sure.”

The eggs were cooked quickly and easily. Mark helped Jack pile them on plates for everyone, the crew leader attempting at making small talk. Jack often caught Mark staring at the scar over his eye, and he chided himself for leaving his sunglasses in his room.

As Jack finished up the last eggs, he heard low murmurs from the hallway, accompanied by footsteps. Wade and Tyler appeared a moment later.

“What smells good?” Wade asked, but they both faltered at seeing Jack at the stove.

Jack flushed. He could only imagine what it must look like; the most feared mercenary in all of Los Santos, standing over a stove cooking eggs in a homey setting.

“Hey! It’s about time you guys woke up!” Mark greeted. He picked up two plates of the eggs and set them on the dining table.

“I’m gonna bring this one to Bob, you guys go ahead and eat,” Mark said, before disappearing down the hall.

Jack continued stirring the eggs as Wade and Tyler sat at the table. The table was off to the left of where Jack stood, so he could see them, and they could see him.

After a moment of almost tense silence, Wade swallowed a mouthful of eggs and spoke.

“You can cook,” He said.

“Yeah,” Jack replied slowly. “Why is that such a surprise to everyone?”

Tyler and Wade exchanged glances, but neither could reply as Mark wandered back into the room.

“How’s the eggs? I haven’t tried them yet,” Mark said, drifting back over next to Jack. He held an empty plate out as Jack dumped the last of the eggs onto the final plate.

As Jack turned the stove off and dumped the used dishes into the sink, Mark brought the two last plates to the table. Jack followed hesitantly. His original plan was to bring his own food to his room, but he supposed it was too late to do that now.

He took a seat at the table and began eating. Mark was already shoveling forkfuls into his mouth, and Wade and Tyler were eating with glances to Jack. They didn’t act as afraid as before; now it was more curious.

It was more the sound of silverware clicking against porcelain plates than talking. The others exchanged some small talk about trivial things, Mark bothered to ask a few mundane questions towards him. Jack mostly zoned out, taking the moment his plate was empty to drop it in the sink and begin to head back to his room.

“Hey, thanks for breakfast!” Mark called after him. “I’ll do the dishes as a thanks!”

Jack didn’t bother replying as he retreated down the hall.

\---

It was six hours, a series of texts to Felix, and countless games of Candy Crush later that someone knocked at Jack’s door.

He shouted a ‘come in’ and the door cautiously opened to Wade.

“Er,” Wade began. “Bob found something.”

Then Jack was up, following the crew member down the hall to Bob’s bedroom. Tyler and Mark were already there, peering over Bob’s shoulder.

“What did you find?” Jack asked.

Bob turned around to face them, and they all circled around that hacker’s desk.

“I may have found a lead,” Bob said. “Not directly related to the crew, but could lead us right to them. You see, Freddy’s crew has many contacts over the city, and I think I found one. The pair have been in contact with Freddy and his crew members, and I suspect they could offer information if we were to find them.”

“How would we get them to tell us anything?” Tyler asked. “I doubt they would just give out information about Freddy.”

“We could meet up with them,” Mark suggested. “Say we were looking to get in contact with Freddy. For an alliance, maybe. It isn’t exactly known knowledge we’re working with Felix now.”

“You’ll have to go without me,” Jack pointed out. “I’m a known face. Everyone knows the SepticEye works with Felix.”

“Then you stay here, and we’ll go,” Mark said. “How do we get in contact with them?”

“I have a few locations you may find them at,” Bob said. He reached over to a printed piece of paper. “These locations are close together, so it shouldn’t be hard to find them around there.” He handed the paper to Mark.

“Alright!” Mark exclaimed. “Let’s head out in ten minutes, yeah?”

Ten minutes later, Jack watched them leave from the living room window.

Bob was hidden away in his room, still typing away on the keyboard and searching for any more leads. Jack took the opportunity to snoop around the house. Even now, he still has the distrust of this crew.

Though the house barely held any secrets. It was most likely not a main safehouse of Mark’s, so there’s a good chance there isn’t anything of worth there.

As he was wandering around the living room, sifting through game disks, a voice sounded behind him.

“We’re not hiding anything, you know.”

Jack spun around. Bob leaned against the wall, watching him. “What?”

“I know you’re suspicious of us,” Bob continued. “I know you probably expect us to turn on you.” He paused, taking in Jack’s bewildered expression. “I’m an analysis specialist. I take in every detail of a person and use that to read them. Ever since I saw you, you’ve acted nothing but suspicious. And it’s obvious why.”

Jack scoffed. “And you’re telling me this why?”

“I want to tell you, you have nothing to worry about,” Bob reassured. “If we wanted to betray you, we would’ve done that already. Hell, we’ve had opportunities to fuck Felix over. If we wanted too, we would’ve done it already.”

Jack must have showed something in his posture, or expression, or _something_ , because Bob sighed.

“You can’t see it now, but you will,” Bob promised like an omen. Then he headed back down the hallway, the soft sound of a door clicking shut following.

Jack thought of his words, considered them; felt like he should believe them, but part of him couldn't. Not yet.

So he settled for retreating to his own room, pulling his phone out, and playing Candy Crush while waiting for the others to come back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIRST OFF: I know it's been a long time since I updated this. I recently found it again and I wrote this up with a sudden burst of inspiration. No promises on when the next chapter will be out, but I'll try to get it finished! Enjoy! :D

The worst part about this job was playing the waiting game. 

Mark, Wade and Tyler returned later that evening. They had found the two dealers and their discussion had gone without a hitch. 

They had said Bonnie was the one who comes to deals, meetings, almost anything that’s face-to-face. With that information, Bonnie was their first target. 

Bob had gotten to work on getting in contact with Bonnie to set up a meeting. Word had not yet gotten out that Warfstache’s crew have been working with Felix, which worked well in their favor, though after this they won't have that cover any more. 

Ah well. It's worth it to get this hit, and they can work through everything else as it comes. 

Bob explained their request had to be passed along until it hit Bonnie. It might take a few days until they get a response. 

And so Jack once again hid inside his room, which was alright; his phone had games, he brought a few books along, and he texted Felix and Marzia every now and then. 

The only disadvantage was his room did not produce food. So he had to leave every few hours to go to the kitchen.  

Jack couldn’t help but notice his status in the house had went from the intimidating mercenary that everyone tried to avoid (well, almost everyone) to just another person in the house. Mark wasn’t ever scared of him, and Jack wonders if Bob ever was as well. Wade and Tyler, they truly were the ones afraid to approach him, but now if he ever sees them they offer cautious smiles and a nod. Never chatting, but just how a person would greet an acquaintance in passing.

In the days of waiting, where Jack lay sprawled on his back in the bed with his phone an inch from his face, there was a gentle knock on the door. Jack lifted his head and let his phone drop beside him.

“Yeah?” He called out. He felt a surge of hope at the idea that Bonnie had finally called back - he hated just sitting around doing nothing.

The door cracked open to Mark, a cautious smile on his face and a tray in his hand. Jack would have noticed the two sandwiches on the tray made of toast, lettuce and bacon, if he had not been so surprised by Mark looking nervous. 

All the while Jack had been here, Mark had always been cheery and friendly towards him. But now, he didn’t make eye contact for more than a few seconds, and his smile was stretched a little wider than normal. Jack sat up and crossed his arms. 

“I made dinner!” Mark held up the tray and Jack finally noticed the odd meal. 

“...Toast? With lettuce and bacon?” Jack asked. 

“BLT’s!” Mark exclaimed proudly. “It was what we had, anyway. I hope I didn’t burn the bacon too bad.” He chuckled. 

Mark sat on the bed, much to Jack’s chagrin, and handed him a plate with the BLT. The sandwich was stuffed full with its contents and nearly toppled over. Jack squished it together as he took a bite. 

“So…? Did I do a good job?” Mark asked. 

Jack swallowed. “Bacon’s a little burnt, but it’s edible.” 

“Hey, that’s better than before,” Mark laughed.

“So why did you want to eat with me?” Jack asked. “Surely it wasn’t just because you wanted to know how well you cooked the bacon.” He lifted the BLT to take another bite.

Mark’s smile fell and he looked nervous again. “I wanted to apologize.” 

Jack stopped mid-bite. “Apologize?” 

“I stepped over a boundary the other day. I shouldn’t have pushed the topic,” Mark said, genuinely apologetic. “I’m sorry.” 

Jack was too caught up in the fact Mark even wanted to apologize to think about his response. “I...It’s alright.” 

Mark looked relieved. “So, we’re cool?” 

“Uh...Yeah. We’re cool,” Jack nodded absently. 

Mark grinned his normal grin again. “Sweet! I’ll, uh, leave you alone now.” He stood up and took the tray and his own BLT with him. He gave Jack a short wave before closing the bedroom door. 

Jack watched him go with an odd feeling. A mix of curiosity and suspicion. Mark is just too friendly to be genuine...Right? 

Jack took another bite of the BLT.

\---

The call came in a day later. 

Mark collected Jack from his room and they went into Bob’s, where he relayed what had been told to him.

“So they accepted our offer,” Bob said. “We set up an arrangement in a car park closed in by a couple skyscrapers…” 

They set up a plan. Jack couldn’t be in plain sight, but he had to be there. They set him up in a building near the meeting place with a direct view. He’d be sniping from above, and he’d be the one to take the killing shot. 

After Bonnie is shot, Mark, Wade, and Tyler are to take out the guards, with Jack helping if he can. After, they meet up a block away and drive back to the cabin. Bob will be watching with security cams and will have his own earpiece to communicate with the rest of them, but otherwise won’t be on scene.

Again, they had to wait a few more days until the destined meeting, but they had something to do then. Jack cleaned his sniper, made sure it worked fine and decided where the best place on the roof is to be stationed.

On the day of, they all went together in one vehicle, but dropped Jack off a block away. He was to walk to the building and up to the roof without being spotted by Bonnie, and hopefully no civilians. 

The building was an apartment building. The sniper was on Jack’s back in a bag that didn’t look very inconspicuous, but it would have to do. 

He managed to sneak up the staircase and onto the roof without running into anyone. He found the perfect spot on the roof and set up his sniper to be aimed at the car park. 

He spotted Mark’s car through the scope. They were early, so he didn’t expect to see Bonnie’s car soon. 

They waited and waited. And then a black SUV pulled into the lot. 

It had tinted windows and was obviously armoured. It pulled into the lot and two people in awkwardly puffed suits exited. Mark, Wade and Tyler did the same and Jack watched Mark wave cheerily. He rolled his eyes. 

A third person exited the car. This man had on a purple suit that glimmered in the afternoon sun. It was also awkwardly puffed - suggesting they all wore body armour. All four of Mark’s crew wore armour as well. 

Wait.  _ Three  _ of Mark’s crew,  _ and  _ Jack. Wore body armour. Yeah.

Through the earpieces, Jack could only hear a one-sided conversation. He listened absently as he aligned his shot through the scope. 

“Hey! So, Bonnie, right? Nice to see you in person!” Mark greeted. 

Jack had the shot perfectly aligned with Bonnie’s head. The guy had dyed purple hair, too - what’s with that guy and purple?

Jack was about to give a warning when Bonnie stepped forward and out of Jack’s aim, probably to say something to Mark. Jack scowled, but moved the scope to follow Bonnie. 

“Yes. And what do you suggest?” Mark’s voice continued through the earpieces, and Jack tried to tune him out. 

He aimed for Bonnie’s head again. Then one of Bonnie’s guards stepped into his way and he refrained from swearing aloud. Jack had to wait for the guard or Bonnie to move to get a clear shot. 

“Yeah, we expected that. We’ll have to get in contact again to sort through that,” Mark continued. Jack needed to hurry and take the shot before the meeting ended. 

Bonnie moved just slightly into view and Jack didn’t waste time. He whispered a quick warning in his earpiece and took the shot. 

A crack sounded in the air and everyone on the ground was alerted. Bonnie’s guard crumpled to the ground, a puddle of red blossoming around his head. He had moved in the way of Jack’s aim last second. 

The other guard and Bonnie immediately had their guns out. The guard ushered Bonnie toward the SUV as even more guards exited the armoured vehicle. Four in total, and they all began to shoot at Mark and the crew. 

The three of them ducked behind their own vehicle and pulled their guns out. Jack aimed and tried to shoot at Bonnie, but each one hit the pavement. 

As Bonnie opened one of the car doors, Jack aimed and shot one last time. Bonnie crumpled to the ground as blood splattered on the car door. 

“Jack, there are guys coming for you, you’ve been spotted!” Mark warned in the earpiece. Jack caught sight of two of the guards running towards the building Jack resided on, while the other two shot at Mark, Wade and Tyler. Jack swore and collected his sniper to retreat. 

“I’m on my out, you guys good?” Jack asked. 

An explosion shook the ground, and Jack looked at the lot to see smoke rising. One silent moment and his stomach dropped. 

“I think you got ‘em, Wade!” Tyler spoke, and Jack sighed in relief. 

Then gunshots broke through the smoke. 

“Maybe not,” Wade added. 

Jack couldn’t see the guards anymore, and assumed they entered the building. He needed to get out before they caught him. Carrying his sniper, he headed for the exit. 

He climbed the staircase back down and tried to keep an ear out for the guards in the building. He could only hear gunshots and orders in his earpiece, so he took it out and stuffed it in his pocket. He took out a pistol from his waist strap just in case.

Jack, to his surprise, made it to the first floor and opened the heavy door without thinking. 

He caught sight of the two guards running towards him with their guns aimed before one of them shot. 

Jack felt the impact in his chest. He stumbled backwards, winded and in pain. The bullet-proof vests work, but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t hurt like hell. 

He attempted to climb up the stairs while gasping for breath, but only succeeded in a slow crawl. The door to the staircase swung open and Jack aimed messily and shot several times.

To his surprise and relief, one of the guards collapsed, taking the brunt of the attack to his head. The other guard shot, and it narrowly missed Jack and imbedded in the cement steps. 

The guard ran forward, seeming to ditch the idea of a gunfight in a narrow stairwell. Jack tried to shoot again, but the guard got the upper hand too quickly. He knocked Jack’s gun away, and lifted his own above his head, preparing to strike Jack with the butt. 

Jack lifted his foot and kicked the guy in his shin. The guard grunted and stumbled, and Jack took the opportunity to kick his hand and disarm him. The guard’s gun went skittering across the floor. 

Jack tried to climb up the stairs, but the guard grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. He pressed his knees against Jack’s chest, directly where it screamed from the bullet, and held him there. Jack bit his lip in pain and tried to struggle free but couldn’t gain traction.

He caught a silver glint. The guard had pulled out a knife. Before Jack could try to fight back, the guard grabbed his hair and bashed his head against the cement. 

Dazed, it took Jack a moment to process the sensation of metal against his throat. He tried to lift his arms, but he couldn’t get them to move. There was a horrible pressure on his chest.

Then the pressure was gone, and the metal against his throat was, too. He blearily blinked and tried to sit up. 

He could process two people wrestling in the stairwell. Jack knew one of them was the guard, but who was the other one?

A gunshot going off cleared his head clean of his daze. Jack looked up to see Mark breathing heavily, a pistol in his hand and the guard dead on the floor. 

Mark looked up and met his gaze. He hurried over and helped Jack up. 

“Are you okay?” Mark asked. 

Jack nodded, wincing at his chest as he stood. “I was shot. It hit the vest, but it’s gonna be bruised to hell.” 

Mark grimaced. “Yeah, probably. C’mon, Wade and Tyler have the car outside, let’s get out of here. The cops are on their way.” 

Jack followed without argue, Mark’s hand on his back and shoulder. He’d shrug him away, but it hurt. A lot. 

Everyone else was either bleeding or bruised. Tyler had gotten nicked on the shoulder by a stray bullet. Wade had scrapes on his hands and knees from being knocked to the ground, and Mark had a couple bruises, an obvious one on his cheek, where the guard he wrestled had socked him.

The car ride could not have been longer. Jack’s chest ached and he had a headache and all he wanted was a shower and some tylenol. 

At the cabin, they all split off to clean up. Mark followed Jack to his bedroom until Jack kicked him out. 

His wounds were what he expected. Removing the vest was a hassle, and Jack grimaced at the ugly purple bruises against his ribs. He’d gonna be feeling that for a few days. At least none of his ribs were cracked. He got lucky on that front.

As he showered, he thought. Jack almost felt guilty of being suspicious of Mark earlier. He had helped Jack today, right? Mark could’ve easily left him to die by the guard’s hands if he wanted to. But he didn’t. Mark saved him, and Jack did not know how to react.

After the shower, Jack popped a few pills to numb the pain and crawled into bed. He was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. 


End file.
